


Blossom

by Phoebe_Snow, Zulera301



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Imagine your OTP, Love, Love Confessions, Romance, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Whump, broken ankle
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-18 16:05:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16122005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebe_Snow/pseuds/Phoebe_Snow, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zulera301/pseuds/Zulera301
Summary: When Katniss accidentally breaks her ankle, Peeta offers to be her Florence Nightingale and things only get better from there.





	1. Injury

* * *

Peeta drove into Katniss' driveway and glanced at her solitary figure. She was in the front yard, raking leaves that had fallen from her two big oak trees. He honked his car horn and she looked up, surprised, but when she realised who it was, she waved at him.

Katniss was not overly fond of loud noises, so while she was humming to herself, she barely noticed anything but the lawn she was raking. As such, when she heard the honk of a horn she nearly jumped out of her skin, even if she calmed down a second later upon realizing it was just Peeta. She smiled and waved.

Once he got out of the car, bringing his art supplies with him, and made his way to her, she greeted him. "Hey." She wasn't much for words, but that didn't mean she didn't still like Peeta as a very good friend. She just saved most of the fancy talking for him since she was more the type to show rather than tell.

Peeta's heart gave a little jump as he came nearer to Katniss. She looked so pretty and earthy doing yard work, with a smudge of dirt on her cheek and a few leaves stuck to her pants. Her brown hair was in a braid, like always, and Peeta wondered if she planned to let her hair down for their session. "Hey. Listen, I hope it's okay that I came early. I had to cancel my class because only one person showed up and she was half asleep, so I sent her home and decided to drop by a little sooner."

"Oh, umm... yeah." Katniss answered, "I'm just killing time out here, really. I'm sure more leaves will fall between now and tomorrow morning if nothing else. She gestured across her lawn, where a few scattered leaves were, but overall it looked like she was doing a pretty good job. She leaned on her rake for a moment, one hand over the other. "Sorry I'm a bit of a mess though," she added with a dry chuckle.

She had definitely not expected Peeta for another couple of hours, which is why she was doing yard work. Because of this, her clothes weren't anything fancy, just the usual heavy jacket and cargo pants; and they, as well as her face, hands, and even her hair, were flecked with dirt and leaves. She was sure Peeta would call that part of her charm though, and honestly wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to paint her as is, smudged face and all.

"That's okay. You look better like this than with make up. Natural beauty is something people take for granted too much." Peeta plucked a few leaves from her hair and smirked. "I gotta say, the earth mother thing really suits you." He was just teasing, but he honestly did believe that Katniss looked beautiful without makeup. Then again, he'd think she were beautiful wearing a burlap sack.

"Flatterer," Katniss quipped, putting more weight against her hands. She knew there was pretty much nothing she could wear or do short of disfiguration that would get Peeta to say she wasn't beautiful, and even then, she doubted that would change his opinion. "I mean, I know I'm not all for the fancy dos and stuff. I just thought that I could maybe dress up this onc—" Before she could finish her sentence, she felt the rake give way from under her hands, and since she was leaning against it, she went down too—or would have, but a bit of fancy footwork kept her face from meeting the earth....so she thought.

Katniss shifted her weight quickly, putting her foot at an angle that turned out to be a little too awkward for the speed and force which she came down on her ankle. She buckled, crying out and cursing loudly as she fell to her knees, one of her hands coming out to break her fall.

Fortunately her wrist survived the impact, but Katniss was gritting her teeth and breathing sharply as she shifted and clutched her foot. As someone who normally shrugged off minor injuries and couldn't play pretend to save her life, the fact that she was reacting so strongly meant that the pain was very real—much to her embarrassment, among other things.

The fall had happened so fast that Peeta was unable to do anything to stop it. Once Katniss hit the ground and cried out, he dropped his supplies and got on his knees to meet her at her level. The look of raw pain on her face worried him and instantly, he went into protective mode. "Katniss, move your hand. I need to see how bad the damage is."

She took a moment to register that Peeta was present at that moment. The pain was very sharp - if her ankle hadn't just snapped, it was at the very least, a nasty sprain. About 3½ seconds after Peeta asked her to move her hands, it registered to her, and she pulled them back.

"Ah! that's going to hurt!" She gritted her teeth again as she pulled her pant leg up to her knee. Unlacing that boot and pulling it off would likely agitate her ankle further, just as removing her sock would.

These were not words that Katniss used lightly, but if there was one person she could trust to help 'make it better', so to speak, it was Peeta. He always seemed to know just what to say and just what to do. Her base instinct would have been to carefully remove anything covering her ankle, but she doubted Peeta would let her hands get in the way at this point. She recognized that protective mode of his and resigned herself to it - for the moment.

Peeta made fast work getting Katniss' socks off and her shoe. He was gentler with the boot because he didn't want to jerk her foot the wrong way and injure her further. The whimper and curses that came from her lips informed him that he'd need to prepare for the worst. He took ahold of her ankle from the bottom, keeping a firm grip of it. "We have to see if it's sprained or broken. Now, I know you don't want me to, but I'm going to twist your ankle in a circular motion, okay?"

Katniss' ankle was already shades of pink and red, and the early signs of swelling betrayed her pain. She was low-key glad Peeta had been here when he did, because she probably would have just bitten down on a piece of wood and gone on with her day, but now that she was free of her boot and sock, this definitely didn't look normal.

"Oh..." She muttered in reply, getting her teeth as she braced herself for what was definitely going to hurt. "Do...what you need to do then..." It was unfair for her to be mad at Peeta, but it was also hard not to be angry in general when she was in this much pain.

Peeta licked his lips. "Alright. Here goes." He turned her ankle a little to the right and Katniss yelped. She started blowing air out of her mouth in short, quick huffs and sweat had begun to appear above her forehead. _Shit_.

He removed his hand for a moment. "Now I'm going to turn it to the left." He twisted the ankle as he'd said, but Katniss slammed her hand down and shook her head.

"Please, stop! It's too much!"

"Okay. I'm sorry." Peeta let go of her foot, still holding it upright with his other hand. A grimace was on his face as he sighed. "Katniss, your ankle is broken."

 


	2. Creature Comforts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is on the long side, but it's bringing us closer to the fluff! :D

* * *

 

A broken ankle. Great.

While the revelation was somewhat expected, it didn't make the situation any easier, let alone less painful.

"Shit..." Katniss muttered under her breath, "You wanna help me hobble somewhere a bit more comfortable than the ground?" Her breathing was sharp and stuttered, and she gritted her teeth multiple times, clearly still hurting greatly.

"Yeah. We've gotta get you to the hospital." Peeta put his arm around her waist and used his other to scoop her into his arms. Katniss leaned against Peeta, grabbing her discarded boot and sock.

He somehow managed to open the passenger door of his car and set Katniss down in the seat. There was a scarf she'd left in the backseat from the last time they hung out together, so Peeta grabbed the soft fabric and wrapped it around her injured foot, tying it off. "That should hold for now."

Despite her pain, Katniss found some dry humour in the situation. "Y'know..." Her breaths were still seething as he squeezed her hand - but her anger was directed at her pain. She couldn't help but feel both grateful and a tad bit affectionate for Peeta's concern as well as his quick action.

"If I had known you'd...sweep me off my feet like that..." She clutched her right knee, as if that would ease the pain in her broken ankle, but she was just tensing up to try and quell the pain (regardless of whether or not this was actually a good idea). "I'd have...broken my ankle...months ago." That was probably the closest thing Katniss would get to telling an actual lie, since it was no mystery that she was a terrible liar. But, let it not be said that she hadn't appreciated that gesture in particular.

Peeta gave Katniss a mildly humorous look and chuckled. Her self-effacing humor was a defense mechanism that he understood all too well. "Miss Everdeen, you are a nut."

"Well." Katniss crossed her arms, the subtlest pout creeping up onto her face. " _Excuse me_ for trying to make the best of a shitty situation."

Playfully rolling his eyes, Peeta buckled her in and closed the door, making his way to the drivers' side of the car. In moments, they were off.

Katniss inhaled sharply. "Ahh! Man, this is gonna kill me!" It really wouldn't, and while she was not one for theatrics, she felt Peeta was one of the few people she could safely vent to - and she did, all the way to the hospital.

Luckily for her, Peeta knew Katniss hated hospitals, so he never left her side when they entered the building. They didn't have to wait long for a doctor to see them either. After she'd been treated, Katniss was sent home with strict orders not to put any pressure on her broken ankle. She wasn't happy about the boot they put on her foot, but it was necessary until the swelling went down.

In two hours and some change, they arrived safely at the Everdeen household and Peeta carried Katniss inside, setting her on the living room couch to rest. He wished he could do something to make her smile again. "Do you want anything? Are you hungry?"

Katniss was not a happy camper, but there was little she could do on that front. One of the biggest issues was that it was hard for her to go outside since she couldn't be on her feet, and she wasn't overly fond of being cooped up indoors for too long. Fortunately Peeta hardly left her side. While it might have bordered on overbearing a few times, overall she was thankful he had been there.

"I want this off," she quipped, slapping the side of her right leg to indicate what she was referring to. "Otherwise...mmm, I could do with a bite to eat. You should work at the hospital - maybe teach 'em a thing or two about proper cooking - or at least have them introduce cheese buns to the menu. Oooh, speaking of cheese buns, do you think you could make me some?"

Oh, yes. Katniss _definitely_ wanted more of those beloved cheese buns. They were a long-time favourite of hers, and one that only Peeta was able to make exactly the way Katniss loved them. She wouldn't openly admit it, but she was/would be willing to go to remarkable lengths for them. His cheese buns were just _that_ amazing.

It didn't surprise Peeta when Katniss asked for cheese buns. He'd made them a lot over the course of their friendship. It was a boost to his ego that she enjoyed them so much, hence he never had an issue with making them. Today was no exception. If she wanted a cheese bun every day for breakfast, he'd see to it that she had as many as she needed. Peeta would be there for Katniss faithfully and with no complaints. How could he do less for the woman he loved?

"Your wish is my command. I'll get started in the kitchen." He bent down to kiss her forehead gently and left to make the bread she'd requested.

Katniss cracked a wry, half-smile as Peeta went to fulfill her request. It wasn't necessarily that she was in a wry mood as much as that was one of her normal smiles. Getting a full-on legitimate smile from her was a difficult task even for Peeta - not from any shortcoming of his; Katniss just never really did this whole 'emotions' thing well.

For a while, she sat there, her arms crossed as she started looking disappointed. "I miss being in there with you!" Now, she didn't expect him to carry her as he baked or anything; that would be unreasonable. But she missed watching how focused he got into his work and she loved being right in the middle of the aromatic smells of cheese and bread and herbs that filled the air.

It was also fun to sometimes pester him; just about little things - Katniss was not exactly clingy and she generally stayed out of Peeta's way. Even if he was just a room away, she still felt lonely and cursed her leg for taking away one of the small and simple pleasures of life that she took for granted.

"Me too! But I'm just about done and then, I'll come sit with you." Peeta poked around the corner to look at Katniss. Her bottom lip stuck out and Peeta felt an incredible urge to kiss her. He resisted, though, because he knew that his feelings for her were unrequited. That was fine. Being her friend was better than being and meaning nothing to her.

"That's not the same!" She enjoyed being in the thick of it with him. Perhaps more than anything, she missed being able to move around the way she used to, and felt helpless and a bit worthless when she was basically confined to be seated.

Katniss really liked Peeta, although she wasn't entirely aware of just how much he meant to her. If asked, she would have said "a lot", although with how minimal her expertise on emotions and feelings were, she didn't exactly wrap her mind around how significant "a lot" was.

On the other hand, as the aroma of cheese buns filled the air, Katniss found herself staring hungrily off into the entryway of the kitchen, licking her lips repeatedly. She really hoped she wasn't drooling, because she would not likely realize it at this point if she was.

Peeta realised that now, even more than before, Katniss felt the need to move around and not be so confined to the house all the time. She'd end up going stir crazy if she were alone here. Peeta was so deep in his thoughts that he nearly missed hearing the timer go off. He jumped up from the chair he'd been sitting on, donned a pair of oven mitts and retrieved the cheese buns. He placed two hot cheese buns on a plate and walked back into the living room. In a exaggerated English accent, he said, "Two fresh cheese buns for the lady."

Peeta's face and the cheese buns on the plate lit Katniss' face up like a candle in the dark. He usually had ways of surprising her, and this time was no exception. The accent was over-the-top, but hot damn, if those cheese buns didn't make Katniss nearly start drooling on the spot. She cracked a wry smile.

"You're such a dork." She shook her head, chuckling, but for a split-second, there was a brief and very warm expression on her face as she took the plate and eagerly sunk her teeth into one of the steaming-hot cheese buns. As blunt as Katniss was with her words, her actions and emotions were the opposite, with subtlety dominating almost every expression she made.

It wasn't necessarily intentional - Katniss usually only noticed these tics and quirks when Peeta pointed them out to her. but despite her dry reaction, she was very touched by the whole gesture, and the presentation made her giggle even if it sounded a lot snarkier than she had intended. He was _very_ close to getting one of her rare, genuine smiles, even if she didn't realize it.

"You love it, though," he replied with a wink.

"I never said I didn't..." Katniss mumbled so quietly it was almost unintelligible as she stuffed her face with cheese buns so she could have an excuse not to speak for a few moments. Peeta sat down next to her and put his feet up on the old mahogany coffee table. For a while, he just watched Katniss eat, chewing and swallowing the buns until they were both completely gone.

Afterwards, he gave her a napkin to get the grease off her fingers. She thanked him and wiped her mouth and hands.

"Hey, listen. I was thinking...since the doctor said you needed to take it easy and not put a lot of weight on your ankle, why don't I stay here with you? You know, until the swelling goes down." Since Katniss and Peeta were best friends, he figured that his company wouldn't be irksome.

Katniss was not a people person, and there were only a few people she actually liked, much less put up with for more than a few minutes at a time. Still...having Peeta as company when she'd be dealing with very limited movement did sound therapeutic in a way.

"Anyone else and I would have said no." She shook her head to (ironically) indicate an affirmative answer to his question. "But honestly...I'd really appreciate your company."  
Sometimes it was nice that she was so blunt.

Peeta's face lit up when she accepted and he relaxed even more. Her earnestness and the fond way she spoke to him made his cheeks warm. "Great! You don't have to worry about anything. I'll help you keep the place clean and I'll cook for you too. I know that will be a nice change after all of those frozen dinners you eat." He nudged Katniss with his elbow, smirking and she smacked his arm.

"You can't judge me." She argued, although frozen dinners, canned food, and soda did seem to constitute much of Katniss' diet, which went right along with her often "never up before 11" sleep schedule and her general disregard for hygiene much beyond making sure she didn't stink up the room. Pants were optional as well.

"But I mean hey, if you want to play housekeeper, be my guest." She chuckled, nudging him back. She was playing it off sarcastically, but in truth it was a very touching gesture to her. Life was...difficult when she was alone. The past still traced her steps and haunted her dreams, and while she often tried to shrug it off, she struggled to come to grips with it a lot of the time - and was hesitant to ever bring this up. It wasn't a comfortable subject for her, because she didn't know how to handle it - nor was she sure she would ever be able to.

"I will definitely take you up on that." Peeta had no problem doing the housekeeper bit because he used to take care of the house back when his parents were still alive. Out of all his brothers, Peeta was the most reliable when it came to keeping everything tidy.

He looked at his watch. It was now 3:28.

Peeta was hesitant to leave Katniss by herself, but since he was going to stay over, he needed to go home, close the blinds, turn off the air conditioning and pack up enough clothes to last two weeks. The good thing was he only lived ten minutes away, so he wouldn't be far away for a lengthy period of time. "Hey," he touched her shoulder to get her attention. She seemed to be zoning off and Peeta suspected she was getting lost in her thoughts. "I have to pack my stuff, but I won't be gone for long. Is there anything else you need before I go?"

Katniss understood the necessary evil of Peeta needing to go home, however brief, but she would be fine. She wasn't overly needy, although it was definitely clear that she preferred his presence right now, even if a lot of the time she needed her alone time. She startled slightly when he touched her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh...um, not that I can think of. Unless you're coming back with a wheelchair or something," she joked. She had crutches so she wouldn't need to be carried everywhere (and so that she could potentially swipe another cheese bun), but it wasn't the same as having two functional legs - and Katniss already missed that dearly. "Don't be too long, yeah?" She knew he wouldn't be, but it was a little reassurance that she wanted at the moment.

It was kind of cute how she wanted him to hurry back. Katniss was fine living in her house alone; she'd been there for a few years now. Peeta knew that she wasn't afraid, but merely wanted his company to make the unfortunate circumstances of her current situation brighter. "Don't worry. I'll be quick. We both know how hard it is for you to manage without me."

"Get going, you dork. Both of us know you're just doing this to spend more time with me." Katniss was teasing, but she truly enjoyed Peeta's presence at times like this when she was hurt or otherwise unwell. And she was pleased that he'd be spending the next couple of weeks with her.

 


	4. Warmth

Once Peeta got back to his place, it took him sixteen minutes to pack his clothes, turn off the ac, make sure all of the doors were locked, close the blinds and draw the curtains. Shortly afterwards, he made his way back to Katniss' house and used the key she'd given him to unlock the door.

"Honey, I'm home."

Similarly, upon his return, Katniss welcomed the change of pace, appearing to have not moved from her spot, but comically staring at him with wide eyes and a mouth full of bread.

"Oh, hey." She muttered through her full mouth. "Uhh, those cheese buns hit the spot?"

Peeta just laughed. She was too adorable sometimes.

As the day went by, Katniss and Peeta watched a few tv shows, making silly remarks and humorous insults to the foolish characters they saw. When it was dinner time, Peeta made spaghetti which Katniss dug into hungrily. After washing the dishes, Peeta gallantly carried her up the stairs.

Peeta definitely helped ease Katniss' pain both figuratively and literally over the next day or two. Although, as much as she appreciated the gestures, she still felt a touch awkward or embarrassed because of them.

That night was different though. Normally she had little trouble drifting off to sleep, especially since she was a pretty heavy sleeper. And yet, she found herself dozing and then suddenly jolting back awake - enough to make her lose track of time, but not enough for her to wear herself out and pass out over.

The flashbacks were where things got really hairy, and after sitting bolt upright in a cold sweat after flashes of flames and death swept across her visage, she realized she was not going to get much sleep.

Not wanting to call out to Peeta across the hall, Katniss slowly pulled herself up and hobbled out of bed, down the hall and into his room on all fours. Some how that was not as embarrassing as yelling for him.

Once she was in his room, she hoisted herself up the side of his bed and began to gently shake him. "Peeta..." she whispered. "Peeta, are you awake?"

The young man did awake then, Katniss' voice and shakes bringing him to the realm of consciousness. He blinked a few times and wrinkled his brow, confused when he saw Katniss leaning on the bed. "Katniss! What are you doing?" Peeta sat up and rubbed his eyes. She knew she wasn't supposed to be walking on her foot. Whatever it was, it had to be important for her to leave her room in search of him. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine." She was telling the truth - well, physically speaking. Her foot wasn't hurting any more than normal and the rest of her body was just fine. "I crawled here." She was stubborn. That was her logic.

"I can't sleep." She mumbled, now climbing onto Peeta's bed. Can I snuggle with you for a bit?" No minced words. Katniss wanted comfort even if she didn't explain why. She figured he would understand even if her 'strategy' for dealing with trauma was to simply repress her feelings until they gave her reprieve, however brief.

Her request took him by surprise. Of course, Peeta was used to Katniss getting straight to the point when she needed something. It was part of her personality and from the expression she was wearing, he knew better than to probe her with questions. "Yeah, sure." Peeta pulled back the comforter and scooted to the left side of the bed so she could lie down.

Katniss immediately pulled herself up and curled into a ball a moment later, hoping he would put his arms around her. Nighttime was when she was at her most revealing, with shorts and a T-shirt as her usual attired for sleep; normally she wore long sleeves, pants and shoes - mostly boots - all year round.

"Sorry for waking you up..." she whispered. She knew he wouldn't be upset by it, but was considerate enough to let Peeta know that she cared about him in return.

"It's okay. I've been half asleep for the past few hours, myself."

It was strange to watch her without touching so he slid closer and put an arm around her waist. The light from the moon shining through the window gave Peeta enough visibility to see Katniss' bare legs and he swallowed. Even in her sleep clothes, she looked beautiful. "Is...this okay?" He asked for her approval, unsure of what to do since being in bed together was new territory for them both.

Katniss incidentally did not seem bothered by her state of dress, or even where she was touched. When she felt his arm move around her though, she shimmied backwards, pressing her back into his chest and sighing. This was one of the few times her hair was unbraided, and appeared longer than it was.

"That's great, actually. I just...thanks." she seemed to grow less tense by the moment - clearly her mind was distracted by something else if she didn't even acknowledge the intimacy (and newness) of the situation.

Peeta licked his lips and allowed his hand to hold her more securely to him. He was careful not to let his hand venture any lower than the dip in her side. His brain was screaming in amazement that Katniss was actually _in bed_ with him right now, and of her own accord! Her naturally woodsy scent was amplified since she was right next to him, but he didn't mind. Peeta liked the way she smelled. "You're welcome."

With the way she was pushing back against Peeta, it was clear she wanted to be locked deep in his embrace. Not that she didn't like it, but in a way similar to how she felt when she was treated with other favours, Katniss did feel a bit embarrassed because of this.

"It means a lot." She sighed softly. "I'm sorry for being bothersome. Tonight was just..." She trailed off and closed her eyes. Usually her nightmares weren't this bad, but for some reason, everything had decided to hit her all at once.

Peeta's hands shook briefly as he obliged, holding Katniss to him, completely eliminating the distance between them. God, he was so nervous! At twenty-four years of age, he'd never experienced the comfort of a woman in his bed. Not sexually or romantically and that was because the only woman he would ever love was Katniss. She was it for him.

"Stop apologizing. You could never be a bother to me and I don't mind having you here."

Katniss shuddered as well, as if fearing retribution or something similar. She too was 24, but it was times like that made her feel 14 again. Losing her dad and her sister years ago had been hard enough, and the last time she and her mother talked had been when she was 17, when she'd been told that she was a burden on what was left of her family. Sadly, Katniss had taken those painful words to heart, and thus had closed herself off from most other people. She didn't want to ruin their lives too.

"I knew you'd say that." She forced herself to chuckle. "..bad habit. Old habit too..." And everyone knew about old habits and how they died hard. On the other hand, a curious inquiry may have unintentionally lightened the mood.

"...my hair's not in your face, is it?" Since it wasn't braided up, her wavy brown locks were kind of all over the place. "Are you sure you like my smell?" Katniss didn't stink, but there was definitely an earthy and outdoorsy scent to her form. Almost like it had just become a part of her at some point and she just embraced it.

Positivity was generally not Katniss' strong suit, but she tried. There was usually just a lot on her mind, and very little was pleasant. This though...this was different. Her stubborn pride didn't want to make this a regular occurrence, but for the first time in a long time...she felt safe.

"No, you're fine. It's nice, seeing your hair down. I don't think I've ever not seen it in a braid." Peeta leaned over to touch the back of her neck with his nose and breathed deeply. Everyone had a special kind of smell. His was paint - obviously, since he made his own bread a lot, he smelled like that too. And Katniss's particular scent was a woodsy kind. "After all these years of knowing you, I'm used to how you smell. It suits you and I like it." Peeta took a chance and touched her hand with his, entwining their fingers.

Katniss squeezed his hand when she felt it go around her own, and almost wished he could have seen her smile. "What did I do to deserve you again?" She whispered, betraying how she truly felt about this calming situation.

Peeta replied teasingly, "I could ask you the same question, Miss Everdeen. On a serious note...I don't know what either of us could have done to make us deserve each other, but I'm very happy that I'm in your life." Peeta closed his eyes and reveled in the softness of this woman next to him.

"Mmm..." Katniss gave an almost uncharacteristically cute sigh, "I'd be more inclined to ask what _didn't_ you do to deserve me at this point, but either way, it means a lot to me."

Katniss wasn't used to having people in her life that genuinely cared about her, so when Peeta came along, he had changed her life for the better - subtly at first, although much more noticeably as time went on.

"You mean a lot to me too," he said quietly. Peeta had always been the affectionate type, but he knew Katniss well enough to understand that it was harder for her. At this moment, she was a little vulnerable and open, so he responded accordingly. "Katniss...I'm going to tell you something and I don't want you to freak out, but I think I should get it off my chest." He could only hope that she wouldn't reject him.

 


End file.
